Be Careful What You Wish For
by The Phantom Soldier
Summary: A year has passed since Ralph's game-jumping adventure. He has all a man could ask for: respect, pies, a home, but most important of all, a best friend. But what happens when a new game is introduced to the arcade that harbors mystical secrets and Vanellope finds herself in a dangerous position? Eventual Jawbreaker.
1. Prologue: What Is

A/N: The Marleys were dead: to begin with. Wait a second. Aw nuts! Wrong story!

*ahem* Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I submit here, for your approval, my first attempt at a Wreck-It Ralph fanfiction (and first publicly displayed fanfiction), _Be Careful What You Wish For_. For those of you who missed the summary, this will eventually be a Jawbreaker fic (i.e. Ralph/Vanellope), but that's not for a bit yet. For the time being I would like to set the story and get all of my ducks (*hears Felix yelp*) in a row.

Now then, I would also like to take this time to dedicate this story to the lovely Ms. **MotorcycleChickenSmile**, for without her inspiration, talent, comedic wit and good friendship I doubt I'd have concocted the wild ride that is to follow.

So in the words of the inimitable John Cleese, "_And now for something completely different…_"

**_Be Careful What You Wish For_**

_Prologue: What is…_

"C'mon Ralph! Move your molasses!"

For the umpteenth time in the half hour since he'd set foot in Sugar Rush, Wreck-It Ralph let out a sigh of mild frustration as he followed the teal colored speck that was Vanellope Von Schweetz. The giant of a man was currently following his friend through the Candy Cane forest, his massive frame lumbering along behind Vanellope's much faster movements, owing in no small part to her glitching ability.

"Vanellope," he called out, swatting a few stray peppermint branches away from his path. "Ya mind telling me what we're doing out here? I mean, what could possibly be hidden inside the Candy Cane forest?"

"It's a surprise Ralph," the sugar & spice sovereign answered back. "And I told you, it's not _in_ the forest, it's _past _it."

"Riiiiiiight," Ralph said under his breath. "As if that helps clear things up."

The moment he'd descended the Rainbow Bridge into Sugar Rush that fateful Saturday night, Vanellope had all but collided with him with nearly as much force as that time Calhoun slugged him. She'd been even more excited than her usual self at his arrival, speaking a mile a minute about how she needed his help with something, that it was super important and that he was the only one who could help her. He'd been more than happy to help until she'd informed him that said task required a walk through the Candy Cane forest.

Still, Ralph couldn't bellyache too much. He was hanging out with his best friend, embarking on another oddball adventure together again. It still amazed him how much fun they'd had since they'd first met, the two of them now a familiar sight in Game Central Station, sometimes walking incongruously side by side, other times with Ralph sitting on the spoiler of Vanellope's kart, grasping the body of the vehicle in white-knuckled terror, and other times with Vanellope perched upon Ralph's shoulder, the two of them sharing a smile that somehow made Game Central Station seem even brighter than usual.

They'd visited every game in the arcade since they'd met, a new experience for both of them, given that Vanellope was no longer trapped in Sugar Rush and Ralph had never felt the desire to visit many of the other games besides Tapper's and a few others due to his (though he'd never admit it) fear of being cast out because he was a bad guy. The two gave strength to each other; each one knowing the other had their back against anything any game could throw at them.

Ralph wasn't sure what it was Vanellope wanted him to help out with, but he had the distinct feeling that it was going to be something that they wouldn't unanimously agree on being "fun." But the dense collection of red & white striped branches and trunks was starting to clear up, giving Ralph a little hope that the journey was almost over.

"C'mon Major Body Odor," he heard her call again, her tiny voice managing to echo against the peppermint trees. "Quit pickin' branches to try and freshen up that breath of yours and get out here! I ain't gettin' any younger!"

"I hear you, Grand Duchess Guttersnipe," he answered back, finally emerging from the minty mesh with a few more swats of his massive hands. "Now ya mind tellin' me what's so important that we walked…all…the…way…here?

Ralph's voice trailed off as his eyes took in the sight below the hill he was standing on.

From where he stood, it looked like a massive cornfield, but he immediately dismissed that idea because corn would have no place in a world like Sugar Rush. Lifting one of his hands above his brow to shield his eyes from the sun above, Ralph could make out little cones of orange, yellow and white candy poking out of the stalks.

His mind began to slowly cobble the pieces of the puzzle together. "Is that…"

"Candy corn," came Vanellope's voice right next to him, jolting the wrecker out of his thoughts with a start. She was sitting on one of the candy striped branches that was level with Ralph's head, making her seem a lot closer that she usually was. "Welcome to the Candy Corn Maze!"

"Uh-huh," Ralph nodded dumbly as he began to make out the rows of discordant lines that made up the maze. "So what is it we're here for anyway?"

"An engine," Vanellope replied matter-of-factly, as if a field of candy corn was where someone would regularly acquire a new engine. Before Ralph could ask any further questions, Vanellope hopped off of her branch and skipped down a path of gumdrops leading down the hill towards the waiting entrance of the maze.

Ralph quickly followed behind her, staring at the entrance as though it were some kind of trap. "Kid, could you please start from the beginning. I'm having a little trouble jumping on board the train of thought."

Vanellope placed her hands on her hips and looked up at Ralph with an expression that said '_really?_'. "I told you Ralph, we're here to get a new engine. This is…"

"The Amazing Candy Maize Maze," came the droning voice of Sour Bill, finishing Vanellope's statement for her.

Ralph and Vanellope turned to look in the direction Bill's voice had come from and immediately did a double take. There, standing in all his foot and a half tall green glory, was the ever dour-faced Sour Bill, only he was wearing a ridiculous straw hat like the one a scarecrow would wear and a piece of straw poking out of his mouth.

The two friends looked at the royal announcer, then back at each other, and then back at Sour Bill again. Vanellope was the first to fail, with a burst of giggles escaping her lips and leaving the saccharine sovereign laughing at what was possibly the funniest thing she'd seen all week. Ralph, to his credit, brought a hand to his mouth and managed to keep the chuckles that fought to be released contained, but not without a few telltale wracks of his broad shoulders.

Sour Bill simply let the princess get it out of her system. He'd been expecting this reaction the moment he'd overheard Vanellope's plans to seek out the fabled maze. He didn't like it (then again, he never liked anything), but it was his job to inform anyone seeking out the engine upgrade what lay ahead of them and he had to do it in costume.

When Vanellope finally got herself under control, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye due to laughing so hard, she walked up to her royal announcer with a grin that irritated the tart servant to no end. "Well howdy there, _Plower_ Bill. What brings you out here?"

Sour Bill ignored the obvious joke made on his name and continued on with his deadpan information speech. "Congratulations on discovering the maze. If you can navigate your way to the center of the maze, you will be awarded a brand new engine for your kart."

"Wait, what," Ralph blurted out. Ralph was not a big fan of mazes, partially due to his large size and the subsequent fear that he might break something. Even when he was in the maze in Pac Man he was afraid he'd inadvertently punch through one of the walls just by stretching. "We gotta navigate this lollipop labyrinth just to get a new engine? Why can't we just get a new one from the cart bakery?"

"Because Stinkbrain," Vanellope chimed in. "Those are all _stock_ engines and this one is a special bonus engine that'll put my kart ahead of the pack and leave everyone else eating my Pixy dust." The look of pure determination on Vanellope's face told Ralph that he was in for the long haul now.

With a roll of his eyes and a sigh through his nose, Ralph looked down to regard Sour Bill once more, the comical straw hat atop his head no longer giving him as much mirth as it had been. "Alright Sour _Till_, anything else we should know about this maze?"

Bill ignored the second dig at his appearance and Princess Von Schweetz's snort of laughter. "Since this is the princess's attempt…"

"President," Vanellope spoke under her breath.

"…Given her unique abilities," continued Bill, "She is forbidden from using her glitching ability to reach the engine inside of the maze."

Ralph and Bill looked to Vanellope, the two of them expecting some form of protest from her about not being able to use her power. Vanellope simply stood there, an odd grin set on her face and a mischievous glint in her eyes. When no one said anything for a minute, she took to tapping her foot in the dirt as a sign of mounting impatience. "Anything else, Mr. Referee," she asked in an all too sweet tone that had a strong undercurrent of sarcasm.

Sour Bill regained himself from what was as close to surprise as he ever got to and fixed Vanellope with another of his deadpan stares. "Yes. Just like the kart baking mini-game, you only have one minute to navigate the maze and claim the engine. Is that understood?"

"One minute," Ralph blurted out. "It's impossible! I get lost just trying to find the restroom in Pac Man. How are we gonna…"

Vanellope silenced him with a conspiratorial wink. Ralph closed his mouth and let his puzzled thoughts run inside his head. The kid had some kind of plan. The only question was, what?

The hard-shelled royal announcer didn't like the feeling he was getting from the princess's air of confidence, but he would simply have to wait and see just what particular ace she had up her sleeve. "Are you ready to begin the maze?"

"I've been ready since I got here Sour Bill," Vanellope replied. "Start the timer already, jeesh."

As if cued by her words, an hourglass full of corn kernels appeared next to Sour Bill and began running quickly. Ralph was prepared to follow Vanellope head on into the maze, but Vanellope just stood there, her arms folded across her chest and a smile of extreme confidence lighting up her face. Ralph was just about to ask her what she was waiting for when she looked up at him and pointed at him, as if to say, '_you_.'

Ralph, to his utter confusion, pointed at himself with one brick-sized finger, as if he were asking, '_me?_'

Vanellope shook her head in the affirmative. She then pointed at him again, then pointed at not the entrance of the maze, but the wall leading to it. Looking at the wall, then back to her, Ralph's brow knit itself in even further confusion. Just what was the kid playing at?

Once more, Vanellope pointed at him, then at the wall and then followed the two gestures up with another that suddenly made her plan as plain as day. She held one of her tiny hands up, palm vertical, then with her other hand she made a fist and brought it into the center of her other hand, making a slapping sound as she did so.

A broad smile split Ralph's face as he understood what she wanted. Giving her a wink that nearly matched her own in sheer mischief, he walked towards the wall of candy corn stalks, while at the same time interlocking his fingers and pushing them forward with an almighty crack.

For his part, Sour Bill didn't understand what was going on until it was far too late. Before he could utter even a sound of protest, Wreck-It Ralph had formed a massive fist, pulled it back as far as his body would allow and brought it forward at an incredible speed for a man of Ralph's size.

The punch caught the wall high. This was exactly how Vanellope wanted it, for if Ralph had punched lower, he'd have only succeeded in destroying the wall. While that wouldn't have been bad in and of itself, it would've made their goal slightly harder to get to. Instead, Ralph's fist slammed into the top of the wall of stalks and pushed it forward. As that wall toppled over, it caught the wall opposite of it and pushed that one over. Then that one pushed the one opposite of it over and so on and so on. The walls experienced a domino effect all across the field as stalks fell over and ears of candy corn went flying until finally the last wall fell, revealing a glorious golden kart engine floating in midair, just waiting to be claimed.

The minute the shining engine was revealed, Vanellope immediately began cartwheeling her way across the fallen stalks, cheering in her trademark fashion all along the way. It took her all of five seconds to reach the engine, jumping up and latching onto it in a fierce manner. "_It's mine! It's mine! It's mine! It's mine! Wahoooo!_"

Ralph couldn't help but smile at his friend's exuberant behavior, knowing full well that racing meant the world to her. And if making the little girl who'd called him her hero happy meant knocking down a wall or two, Wreck-It Ralph would gladly bust through the Great Wall of China if he knew it'd make her smile.

A dull groaning brought Ralph back to reality as he peered down at Sour Bill, who was currently massaging the area between his eyes as he attempted to deal with the frustration of having the entire maze being knocked down in one fell swoop. Ralph felt a tiny twinge of regret at his action, knowing that Bill was usually the one to bear the brunt of his and Vanellope's antics in Sugar Rush. He was about to offer an apology but was stopped short by Sour Bill holding up one of his tiny green hands. "Just go Ralph. The maze will grow back within a few days." Despite his stoic voice, Ralph could just make out an undertone of irritation.

Turning away from the sour servant, Ralph made his way across the fallen stalks to where Vanellope was desperately trying to pull the engine down from its floating position. Smiling at her determination, he reached over with one massive hand and picked it and her up as if they were nothing. With his other hand he picked Vanellope up by her hood and deposited her on his shoulder, earning himself the sight of the raven-haired princess sticking her tongue out at him for his display of strength. The wrecker took it in his stride, slinging the engine under his other arm and without a word of direction from Vanellope began what would be a long journey back to the palace.

X – X – X – X – X

Hours later, with parts strewn all about the floor of her royal (or, presidential) chambers and the kart they had crafted together sitting upon blocks of rock candy, Ralph and Vanellope were still laughing about how they'd "beaten" the maze.

"Did you see the look on Sour Bill's face when those walls fell," Vanellope chortled. "I thought he was gonna have a heart attack!" Another fit of laughing seized her as she played the image over and over in her head.

"Yeah, he's probably not too happy with us," Ralph replied. "Good thing you run the show around here kid, or else he'd make sure I'm kept out at all times."

They laughed at the thought of anyone trying to keep Wreck-It Ralph out of anywhere, with the only person likely to succeed being Calhoun. For another hour they continued on in this way, laughing at their own jokes like two friends who had been together for decades.

It wasn't until Ralph let out a lengthy yawn that their merriment began to wind down. Picking himself up from where he'd been sitting on her comfortably carpeted floor, the wrecker stretched his arms and legs before giving his friend a tired smile. "Alright kid, I think it's time I went home. We'll finish installing the engine tomorrow, okay?"

"Why don't you just stay here tonight, Ralph," she asked in that hopeful voice she used when she wanted her way. "Tomorrow's Sunday so the arcade's closed and you wouldn't have to travel all the way from your game to get here."

Ralph considered this for a moment, stroking his chin with his heavily calloused fingers. While he did enjoy sleeping in his own bed, sleeping over at Vanellope's palace was always a pleasant experience. There was something to be said about waking up in a place that perpetually smelled like a bakery. And the kid did have a point about tomorrow being their day off. Deciding that he'd rather save himself the trip and just spend the night, Ralph nodded to Vanellope. "Alright, you twisted my arm. I'll stay."

Vanellope's response was a series of jubilant cheers around her mammoth bedroom, hopping over scattered kart pieces and glitching to and fro.

A little while later, the lights in the room were off and the two were settling in for a night of (what Ralph hoped would be) peaceful sleep. Despite Vanellope's offers to sleep on the gargantuan bed, Ralph opted to sleep on the floor, which was arguably as comfortable as the bed with its thick carpeting. Still, his massive form was right next to the bed, his chest nearly level with the plain of the mattress.

It didn't take long for Ralph to feel sleep slowly pulling him into its embrace, but just as he felt himself about to slip beneath the pleasant abyss he heard Vanellope whispering to him. "Hey Ralph?"

"Hunnnh," he answered in his half asleep state.

"Will we always be best friends," she asked in a tiny voice.

That question got Ralph to open his eyes and lean up to look at Vanellope. Despite the pitch black of the room, years of living in the darkness had given Ralph excellent night vision. Were it possible, she looked even tinier wrapped up in the blanket she used and even smaller in comparison to the bed she slept on. And what he could also see was that her normally jubilant hazel eyes held a twinge of uncharacteristic worry.

Ralph couldn't understand where this was coming from, but he felt it was better to soothe any anxieties she was harboring rather than inquire about them. Propping himself up on one arm, he reached the other arm into her bed and extended a massive pinky towards the petite girl. Tentatively, Vanellope brought one of her own pinkies up to touch his, her digits much too small to even try to wrap around one of his massive fingers.

Smiling at her through the darkness, Ralph said, "I promise that no matter what happens, you and I will always be best friends."

The vow did the trick, a content smile returning to Vanellope's cherubic face and a hopeful light reigniting in her eyes. With her own little yawn, she bundled herself back up in her blanket and was qickly falling into the depths of sleep, but not before sleepily telling him, "Good night, you smelly hobo."

Ralph smiled at her choice of endearing terms and simply replied with, "Good night you little homeless lady." And with that the wrecker fell asleep, all the while dreaming that some kind of odd, warm weight had taken up residence atop his chest.

X – X – X – X – X

Some of you may recognize the candy corn field from a deleted scene from the movie. I thought it was a neat little scene, despite being almost completely incongruous to the plot we ended up getting. Please read & review and I _REALLY _appreciate constructive reviews. Many thanks!

Post Disclaimer: I own none of the copyrighted characters or locations mentioned herein.


	2. Chapter 1: and What Should Never Be

A/N: To everyone who has left reviews, favorite or followed this story: Thank you. From the bottom of my clockwork heart, thank you. I wasn't expecting this much enthusiasm for this story, but I welcome it nonetheless. Thank you to all of you. I cannot tell you how much your support means to me.

I feel I should tell you that this one gave me trouble. It was originally going to be much longer, but I got to a certain point that made me feel like I'd packed enough into this particular chapter. Don't worry, there'll be more to come.

On that note, I feel I should tell you guys that another reason this took me so long is because I'm in the process of trying to graduate. I've got two more weeks and then I'm free, so please don't think that I'm abandoning this work over the next few weeks. I just have to deal with reality first.

I also apologize if this chapter and the previous don't have a great deal of plot development, but I'm building this slowly. For now I ask that you all just enjoy the ride.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**_Be Careful What You Wish For_**

_Chapter 1: …and What Should Never Be_

Sunday morning usually saw Game Central Station completely deserted, most characters opting to stay in their games and rest. Even the Surge Protectors were relatively lax on Sundays, not bothering to check anyone passing in or out unless they were acting outrageously suspicious.

But on this particular Sunday morning, a blue blur was racing through the arcade at high speed. The blur would travel into a game, stay there for a minute or two, then rush back out and into another game. Because the station was deserted, no one was really around to comment or question just what exactly was going on, but they would all find out soon enough. But for now, the blur simply continued its pattern, eventually rushing into the terminal for Fix-It Felix Jr.

X – X – X – X – X

Despite the game being in a perpetual period of night, Fix-It Felix Jr. actually had one of the best positions in the arcade. With its screen facing the double glass doors into Litwak's, Niceland was one of the few places in the arcade that got to benefit from a bit of actual sunlight when the sun rose in the morning. Granted, it wasn't much, but the Nicelanders enjoyed the little dose of the outside world that their position in the arcade gave them. To nearly all of the game's denizens, walking up to an actual sunrise was undisputedly the best way to wake up.

Truth be told, it would surprise many of the game's citizens if they learned exactly who it was that didn't agree with them on the splendor of a sunrise, but that was because he had found something, or rather, someone who was worth more to him than any old silly sunrise.

Lying in bed next to his one and only dynamite gal, Fix-It Felix smiled in a way that bespoke that in the handyman's eyes, all was right with the world. Propped up as he was against the pillows, Felix let out a measured sigh of contentment, being careful not to let it out too quickly or loudly due to the fact that his wife's head was currently using his lap as a pillow, one of her firmly toned arms wrapped possessively around his leg.

_'Sgt. Tamora Jean Calhoun Fix-It,' _he thought to himself, his grin growing just a little wider. A year after their wedding, even just the thought of that name still gave him the honeyglows something fierce. There was a lot to be said about the kind of love that grows between a happy-go-lucky handyman and a woman who introduced herself by ordering her squad to open fire on him.

A bit of movement from his wife brought him out of his reverie, refocusing his attention back on her. She was mumbling slightly in her sleep and pulling herself even closer to him. Felix just laid his bead back against the pillow and gently ran his hands through her blonde locks. Though no one would ever believe it, and Tammy would rather face an entire hive of Cy-Bugs before she'd admit it, his rough & tumble sergeant was a closet snuggle-bug. Felix would often wake up just as he was now, her longer arms wrapped around him, keeping him close to her.

It still amazed Felix how his life had changed so suddenly all thanks to his game's bad guy. Because of Ralph, Felix had gone from a content bachelor living in his apartment to a happily married man living in a brownstone in East Niceland. Though the adventure had put the entire arcade in dire peril, Felix still couldn't help but thank Ralph for his attempt to break away from his bad guy label.

Lost in his own little world of happiness, Felix was just starting to drift back to sleep when a set of lips pressed firmly but gently against his own, jolting his eyes back open before they closed again due to dreamlike euphoria. One hand made its way up to cradle the back of his wife's graceful neck, just to make sure she couldn't get away.

After what seemed like a blissful eternity, Tammy finally broke the kiss. She was smiling in that quirky way that was reserved for her husband and closest friends, the kind of smile that, while subtle and controlled, told those around her that it was being fueled by infinite contentment.

"Morning Tammy Jean," Felix said as he ran his hand through her hair again. Felix knew he was the only one in the entire arcade allowed to call her that, but he was under strict orders from his wife that he was never, EVER to call her that in front of her men.

"Morning, _handyman_," she replied, saying her nickname for him in the kind of lovey-dovey voice that no one, arcade or otherwise, would believe her being able to produce. To the arcade and the gamers, she was Sergeant Calhoun, the fearsome leader of Hero's Duty who commanded fierce loyalty from the men who served under her and possessed a do-or-die attitude when it came to eliminating the Cy-Bug threat. To Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz, she was Calhoun, friend and confidant who was just as ready to have their backs as they were to have hers. But to Felix, she was Tammy Jean, the wonderful, strong-willed, sweet as an apple pie woman who had made him the happiest man in all of Niceland.

Happy as he was to be here in bed with his beautiful wife, Felix was beginning to feel a bit peckish and Sunday was the only time when game characters had the time to enjoy proper breakfasts without any worry of having to rush. "What do you say we head to the 'mess hall' and cook up some 'chow'?" Felix still thought some of the jargon used by his wife and her troops was silly, but he still liked to use it every now and again.

Tammy gave a slight chuckle at her husband's attempt to utilize the military lexicon, always finding it adorable when he tried to learn more about her world. Breakfast did sound good, but she could think of something even better. Her smirk slowly shifted to the grin of a well-fed predator, one that was confident of the capture of her prey. "I was actually hoping for breakfast in bed," she said, her tone one of suggestive intent.

"Well, I guess we could do that, but we have to cook breakfast fir-WHAH!" Felix was abruptly cut off as his wife's hand grabbed hold of his pajama top and pulled him in for another kiss, her intentions making it clear that actual breakfast was just going to have to wait.

When they finally broke for air, Felix had a heavy case of the honeyglows while Tammy had a satisfied smirk bolted to her face. "Jiminy jaminy," he said as he took a deep breath. "It's a good thing we live here in my game. Otherwise I don't think I'd survive how rough you can be Tammy!" He punctuated the statement with a smile, indicating that he didn't mind her roughness at all.

Tammy merely returned his smirk with one of her own. "You've spent thirty years dodging bricks launched at you by the fists of a 600 lb. junkpile, Fix-It. I think you can handle me." She slowly pulled him back in for another kiss.

Felix closed his eyes, anticipating the press of their lips once more…

The next thing he knew he was on the floor, his wife lying on top of him and keeping him pressed to the carpet. When his vision finally aligned itself again, he looked up to see that his wife's demeanor had changed to one of deadly seriousness, her eyes narrowed into slits searching out an unseen enemy.

"Oh my land Tammy! What's the meaning of… mmmph mm mmmpha." Felix's protests were shut down by his wife's hand clamping over his mouth.

"Can it Fix-It," she hissed through clenched teeth. "And stay down." Felix could only watch as his wife cocked her head to the side, listening for something that he hadn't heard but was enough to put her into soldier mode this early on a Sunday.

He was contemplating the wisdom of trying to gently pry her hand off when he heard it. A noise like the staccato report of machine gun fire that sounded like it was coming from outside the house. Tammy pressed herself closer to him again, making sure to protect him.

The noise echoed through their home again, but this time Tammy began crawling along the floor, taking a moment to reach up under her pillow and retrieve the pistol she kept there. Felix made a mental note to talk to her later about keeping weapons in bed, but right now he could only watch as she racked the slide in order to chamber a round and then with slow and deliberate movements, she began making her way out of the room along the floor.

Once more, the noise came again, but this time it seemed to come even faster. Tammy didn't seem to notice, but Felix had, and he noticed something else about the noise: the sound of wood being struck.

The pieces of the mystery gradually began to fall into place in Felix's mind, but it seemed that his wife was bent on shooting something. Steeling himself for what he knew would be her ire, the handyman began following behind her on the floor, trying to catch up to her. "Tammy," he whispered. No response. "Tammy, I think it's just someone at the door."

Felix noticed a momentary hesitation in her crawl, but she continued forward, standing up as she reached the stairs, gun drawn and aimed. As she descended the staircase, the sound became even more insistent. His wife dropped into a crouch, but quickly continued on again, her steely blue eyes locked onto the front door at the base of the stairs.

By this point Felix was pleading with her. "Tammy, please don't do anything rash." But his pleas fell on deaf ears. No one put Sgt. Tamora Jean Calhoun Fix-It in fighting mode on a Sunday morning and didn't wind up regretting it. Step by step, she made her forward, until finally she had reached the door. Slowly and steadily, she put her hand on the knob, prepping herself. Felix watched as in one swift movement, she ripped open the door, brought her pistol to bear and found herself aiming at Sonic the Hedgehog.

X – X – X – X – X

Of all the greetings Sonic had ever received in his lifetime, this was the first time he'd ever had a pistol trained with deadly precision between his eyes by a tall, buxom woman in black pajamas. Even more disorienting was the fact that this was happening in Fix-It Felix Jr., a game that certainly did not have guns. But here he was, staring up the barrel of a military grade sidearm held by a woman who looked like she was ready for blood.

The normally unflappable and verbose hedgehog found himself at a loss for words, the surprise of it all catching him completely off guard.

_'This is it,'_ he thought. _'My chili dog's cooked.'_

Salvation, however, came in the form of the game's title character squeezing around the woman and zealously pleading with her to put the gun down. Sonic held his breath, watching as the barrel of the pistol finally started to lower, but the intensity in the woman's gaze did not abate.

Taking a chance, Sonic let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. He was about to ask what exactly just happened when a question was put to him. "What are you doing here, _rodent_," came the hard-edged voice of the woman.

The insult didn't even register with the blue speed demon until he heard Felix speak again. "Sgt. Tamora Jean Calhoun Fix-It, there is no need to be rude," he said, in a voice much firmer than most people knew he possessed.

The name clicked in Sonic's mind. He had completely forgotten that Felix was married to the sergeant from Hero's Duty. Thinking back on it, it was little wonder that she had answered the door with a gun in hand: he had been knocking so fast that she must have heard it as gunfire.

Felix finally turned towards Sonic and offered him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Sonic," he said while clasping his hands together in front of him. "We're just not used to company this early in the morning. So what brings you here neighbor?"

Sonic shook himself out of what was left of his shock and regarded his fellow good guy. "It's okay Felix. It's my fault for knockin' so fast. I just wanted to make sure you heard the news from last night."

A puzzled look crossed Felix's face. "News," he asked. "What news is that Sonic?"

Worry flitted across the features of the blue hedgehog. "You mean you don't know? Oh man, not good. Felix, we don't have long. I gotta get to DDR and tell Yuni to keep a look out."

"Sonic, please slow down," Felix implored, holding up a hand. "Tell Yuni to keep a look out for…"

But the words died in his mouth as the sound of synthesized drums echoed across the entire arcade…

X – X – X – X – X

_A few minutes earlier…_

Normally, the characters of Dance Dance Revolution took Sunday as a day to rest their legs and take it easy. For as active as they were during business hours, it would amaze gamers if they could see just how extraordinarily lazy the DDR dancers could be on their day off. Some chose to sleep the day through, others visiting games with snow-capped levels so they could soothe their aching legs in the cold conditions, and some just lying about and letting the day drift by, content to be as immobile as possible. Of the third category was none other than Yuni Verse herself, the self-appointed lookout of the arcade who gave the all clear every night to the rest of the arcade, letting them know it was safe to move around without fear of their sentience being discovered.

At that moment, Yuni was enjoying the comfort of a hammock she had acquired from one of the denizens of Paperboy, her arms crossed behind her head as she let out a blissful sigh of relaxation while the hammock swayed gently from side to side. As much as she enjoyed dancing, it was nice to kick back and relax every now and again. And what better way to spend a lazy Sunday than to relax in a hammock suspended between two massive amplifiers?

_'Maybe I'll go to Tapper's later tonight,' _she mused. _'It's been a while since I've the Street Fighter and Mortal Combat crowd start fighting each other in a drunken brawl.'_ The memory of the numerous fights breaking out between the characters of the two fighting games giving the blonde a chuckle. She stretched her arms out at length, a small yawn escaping her lips as she thought about the idea of a nap.

_Kling-Knling-Kling-Kaling_

Yuni's eyes opened wide at the sudden noise, her heart rate accelerating faster than a techno beat and her stomach feeling like it was falling off of the dance stage. _'It can't be,'_ she thought worriedly. What was possibly the most graceful exit from a hammock ever accomplished by anyone in history, Yuni vaulted out of her resting place and sprinted for the nearest dance stage, waking up her fellow characters as her shoes clacked by.

She came to a skidding halt on the dance floor and immediately peered into the gaming screen, the two-way mirror that allowed the gamers to see her and vice versa. What she saw confirmed her worst fears.

Litwak.

Stanley Litwak, owner of the arcade, was at the door. From what Yuni could tell, he was in the process of trying to pick up his keys. _'Why is he here,' _she thought, but then shoved her questions aside in favor of more important matters. _'Have to warn the arcade.'_ Wasting no time, Yuni made her way to the song control console in the DJ booth, her hands quickly flying over the panel in a frantic search for the song that was designated as the Emergency Alert for the arcade.

"There you are," she shouted triumphantly, selecting the infamous song and hitting the play button.

X – X – X – X – X

Felix and Sonic locked eyes as soon as the sound of synthetic drums reached their ears. They knew that song, and it was the one that they never wanted to hear on a Sunday morning.

_We're no strangers to love_

_You know the rules and so do I_

_A full commitment's what I'm thinking of_

_You wouldn't get this from any other guy_

_I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling_

_Gotta make you understand_

Calhoun simply looked between her husband and the spikey blue pipsqueak that had interrupted her _breakfast in bed_. She didn't know what was so special about this cheesy excuse for a song, but she didn't like how it put two of the most well known characters in the arcade into a deathly silence. She was about to ask what was going on when Felix sprinted off toward the Niceland Apartment building, the handyman hopping as fast as the first time he and his wife had met.

For the moment, Calhoun focused her attention back on Sonic, the annoyance in her eyes looking as though she'd burn holes through the poor hedgehog. "Alright Blue Streak," she growled out. "Just what the fun is goin' on here?"

Sonic took a hesitant step backwards, desperately wishing for the first time in his life that he were facing one of Dr. Robotnik's maniacal machines instead of this woman's anger. For a split second, he contemplated the wisdom of trying to run, but he could tell just by looking at the sergeant that he wouldn't get far. Trying to keep himself as calm as he could, he began speaking as slowly as he could manage.

"That song is _Never Gonna Give You Up_, and it's the emergency signal for the entrie arcade for when Litwak returns unexpectedly. I was trying to make sure that everyone knew that he was coming by with a new game this morning."

"New game," Calhoun echoed, an eyebrow raising quizzically. "What do you mean a new game? Talk fast road rash."

What little amount of control Sonic had left crumbled under her questioning gaze. "_I'msorryIdon'tknowanythingmoreI'mjustthemessengera ndIneedtogetbacktomygameLater!_" And with that, Sonic the Hedgehog spun his red sneakered feet into the grass and shot out of East Niceland like a bolt of lightning.

Calhoun watched as the hedgehog disappeared in the blink of an eye. She was about to call out that he come back when his words registered in her mind. Litwak was here, on Sunday. Granted, she didn't have to worry because her game's demo mode was done with previous footage of gameplay. But older games like her husband's needed the actual characters to demonstrate gameplay.

She suddenly realized why Felix had run off when he did. He was going to warn the rest of the game characters. But she remembered that not all of the game's characters lived in the apartment building. The most important character besides Felix lived on this side of town.

Breaking into a run, Calhoun ran along the rows of brownstones until she reached the small, discordant shack built and owned by the game's resident bad guy, Wreck-It Ralph. Without even thinking, the sergeant skidded to a halt in front of the door, planted one foot behind her and kicked the door open with her other, nearly ripping it from the hinges as she did so.

"Alright junkheap," she shouted in the familiar commanding voice her soldiers knew all too well. "Rise & shine and get to your post before I…" Calhoun's confidence dropped as she took in the interior of the tiny house, noting that the unmistakable form of Wreck-It Ralph was painfully absent.

Calhoun gnashed her teeth, figuring the wrecker had probably spent the night over at the cavity queen's palace. That wouldn't be a problem if they didn't need him right now, and she doubted there was time to get to Sugar Rush and drag the massive palooka back here. They'd just have to improvise, and she an idea or two on how to achieve that…

X – X – X – X – X

Hopping from window to window to window, Felix had woken everyone in the apartment building up in record time. The sleeping denizens of Niceland peered down from their windows, all in their pajamas and wiping sleep from the eyes. However, any lingering exhaustion they felt was wiped away the moment their minds registered the sounds of Rick Astley's _Never Gonna Give You Up_, the situation becoming clear to them.

Confident that everyone in the building was ready, Felix spun around to go and get Ralph and promptly ran into his wife's legs, falling backwards after the collision. When he looked back up again, the sight that greeted him caused a large knot of worry to form in his stomach. Standing in front of him was his wife, still clad in her black pajamas but shouldering a very dangerous looking rocket launcher that he knew had come from her game. "T-t-tammy?"

"I'll save ya the trip Fix-It," she said without looking up from the minor calibrations she was performing on the heavy weapon. "The wrecker's not coming."

Felix could feel the panic rising in his chest. "Higgledy-piggledy Tammy! What do you mean he's not coming!?"

"He's not home Felix," she said as she loaded a clip of rockets into the launcher's breach. "My money's on him being over in Candyland with the sugar plum princess."

Felix felt his heart sink. If Ralph wasn't here, there was no one to wreck the building. And if Litwak noticed there was nothing to fix, he might put them out of order again. "Oh my land! What are we gonna do! What are we gonna- Tammy, what are _you _doing?"

Calhoun had dropped into a one knee crouch and was currently in the process of lining up her sights with the building, picking out her targets carefully. "Simple Fix-It," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm saving all of your hides."

The meaning of his wife's words suddenly made it clear what she had planned. It was risky, but it just might work. Whipping around to face the building, Felix cupped his hands over his mouth and did something the Nicelanders had never thought him capable of: he shouted. "EVERYONE TAKE COVER!"

Every Nicelander slammed their window shut and dove for the nearest piece of protection in their respective homes, cowering behind couches, beds, china cabinets and television sets. Outside, Calhoun lined up the rocket launcher with the double-door entrance of the apartment building. When she was confident that she had the glass doors dead to rights, Calhoun allowed herself a rare smile and said something that only she could hear. "I'm gonna wreck it." And with that, she pulled the trigger.

X – X – X – X – X

I'd like to take a moment and inform everyone that _Never Gonna Give You Up_ has actually been included in one of the DDR games. I discovered this while looking for a suitable song to serve as the emergency alert by combing through the list of songs that have been in DDR.

I'd really appreciate if you wonderful readers would tell me how I did on the characterization of the Fix-Its in this chapter. I don't feel like I've got them down square yet. Also, I hope everyone at least gets a chuckle from my attempts at humor. Looking forward to your reviews! The Phantom Soldier, signing out.


	3. Chapter 2: New Arrival

The Ghost returns ladies and gentlemen! I apologize profusely for being away for so long, but real life has a funny way of slugging a guy with a sack of spuds & door knobs. I am sorry that there's not much to this chapter, but I had to get it out of my head. I will hopefully have more soon, but please bear with me. I can at least show you that I am not letting this one slip away. Best Regards, The Phantom Soldier.

**_Be Careful What You Wish For_**

_Chapter 2: New Arrival_

After successful extracting his keys from the pavement, receiving little help from his aging back, Stanley Litwak unlocked the doors to his arcade and stepped inside. The arcade was mostly quiet, aside from the occaisional noises coming from the demo screens of some of the games and the sound of Rick Astley's _Never Gonna Give You Up_ emanating from the DDR console. Litwak found it slightly odd that whenever he came to the arcade on Sunday, it always seemed like that song was playing. It was as if his presence somehow triggered the song. Nevertheless, he just chalked it up to coincidence. It couldn't have been as if the arcade knew he was coming and decided to play that particular song as some sort of odd welcome, could it?

Litwak merely swept his curious thoughts to the side as he wedged the glass double doors open as he waved the delivery men to come forward with his latest purchase. The heavyset delivery men unloaded the pieces of the game console from their delivery van and began moving them on dollies into the arcade.

Strolling down the main aisle of the arcade, Litwak walked around Hero's Duty. "Right over here fellas, if you please," he said, gesturing to the spot behind the popular rail-shooter.

The first piece to come in was a large screen, not as wide as Hero's Duty, but still sizable. The cabinet of the screen was painted in a manner depicting treasures and riches, fine Persian carpets and suits of medieval armor. The border of the cabinet was host to something like a mystical fog. But interestingly enough, the fog was a mixture of two colors: one a light pink in hue and the other a menacing gray. The two were intertwined, traversing the length of the screen cabinet like a hazy frame, drawing the viewer in while giving them a feeling of slight unease, as though something was waiting within the mists, something at once benevolent and malevolent. The screen came to rest behind Hero's Duty, the backs of the two games nearly touching one another.

The next piece to come in was a bit of a curiosity. It was a counsel much like Hero's Duty's, with two plastic handguns attached to black cables sitting in metallic holsters on the counsel. But unlike Hero's Duty, the game had an angled metal plate sitting at the base of the counsel. Were someone to step onto the plate, it would press downwards until they removed their foot, at which point the plate would return to its angled position.

Lastly, a delivery man brought in the game's title box. Placing it atop the game screen and hooking the wires into the piece below it, the box glowed as brilliantly as the gaming cabinet upon which it sat. Stanley Litwak smiled as the game's name lit up proudly in exotic writing: _The Genie's Quest_.

Finishing the last few wire connections needed, one the delivery men stood up and gave his back a loud crack, stretching his arms in order to free up some of his mobility. "There she is Mr. Litawk," he said, swiping his hands together as though they were covered in some form of grime. "Wish ya the best of luck with this one. It wasn't real popular when it first came out, but it seems like it's gaining popularity with the nostalgia crowd."

Litwak turned to the delivery man, a trace of worry running through his eyes. "What do you mean son," he asked. "Is there something wrong with the game?" He'd found the game while perusing the rows of arcade games at the local warehouse and had gotten a very good deal on it. The popularity of Hero's Duty had shown that the shooter market was still very much alive, but it seemed as though the kids were starting to lose interest in alien bugs for target practice. This game offered more mystical enemies… that is, if the salesman was to be believed.

The delivery man scratched the back of his neck, looking between Mr. Litwak and the game screen as the game slowly set itself up. "It's the strangest thing. When the game first came out, a couple of arcades started experiencing odd things with their other games. Characters showing up with newer details and weapons, characters showing new designs, some characters missing from their games on some days…"

Litwak listened intently as the delivery man rattled on about the odd occurrences, expecially the part about characters missing. Ralph's disappearance from Fix-It Felix Jr. last year still hung in his mind, coupled with the appearance of Q*Bert and his gang in the game's bonus level not long after. Still, none of the things the delivery man mentioned seemed like they were entirely detrimental to the games, so Litwak decided to roll with his gut and let the game run its course.

"Well, thank you boys for doing this on a Sunday for me," he said, offering a warm smile to the delivery men.

"Anytime Mr. Litwak," one of them replied, handing the arcade owner a clipboard with a few forms to fill out.

After the forms had been signed and the delivery men had left, Litwak looked around his arcade, a sense of pride swelling in his chest. Thirty years had gone by and children still loved playing his games. His gaze fell on Fix-It Felix Jr., watching with a smile as Felix hopped around the apartment building fixing the gaping holes left by Ralph's massive fists. Strangely, Ralph himself wasn't present, but Litwak just figured that the wrecker had moved higher up. As he reached the doors of his arcade, he took one last look over his shoulder at Fix-It Felix Jr. Was it his imagination, or did the holes in the building seem bigger than usual?

X – X – X – X – X

Read & Review folks, if ye'd be so kind. Like I said, I'll try to have more soon.


End file.
